- Home
- Community
- Union Station
- Museums
- Virtual Learning
- Urban Archive
Urban Archive
Take your education out on the town! Urban Archive, a virtual learning platform, allows users to take walking and digital tours of Ogden. These specialized tours allow users to find historical locations around them and learn the history of their city! Find their website here or download the app on IOS.
Walking Tours
- Browning Gun Shops
- Black History: Among the Porters and Waiters
- Let's Pretend it's Sunday: Ice Cream Sundaes in Ogden
- The Roaring Twienties in Ogden: Innovation & Community
The Browning family helped put Ogden on the map. Starting in the 1870s as one of Ogden’s first gunsmiths, Jonathan Browning cared for the citizens of Ogden as a gun repair shop before the transcontinental railroad was completed. His sons John Moses and Matthew Browning changed the world of guns forever. The early Browning family, although they had fame, never forgot about their heritage and past. They continued to live in Ogden even after the Browning guns and various stores took off. Explore this section of Ogden where their homes and first shops tell the story of where their innovating empire began.
In the shoes of an African American porter or waiter, explore Ogden during the height of rail travel in the 1940s when around 119 passenger trains came through Ogden every day. But it was also the height of segregation in America.... How did this affect the railway porters and waiters when they visited Ogden? Railways played an important role in the African American community and Ogden Union Station was a central stop in the story.
The first creator of the Ice Cream Sundae is still a debated topic... but once created, this desert became a popular treat and an American favorite. Learn the Ogden touch on Ice Cream Sundaes and how sundaes were served on the Union Pacific railroad! This walking tour ends at Farr’s Ice Cream where you can design and taste your own Ice Cream Sundae!
As you walk 25th Street today you will pass businesses and restaurants. But 25th Street is more than a main street for people to enjoy, it is full of history and stories. Some stories are about how dangerous 25th Street was in the 1920s. Some people even say that Al Capone, a Chicago gangster, would not go to 25th Street because he was afraid. While it is easy to get lost in the drama of 25th Street, this tour looks at the modern changes and community of Ogden that grew because of the railroad.
The 1920s was the high point of Union Station as trains brought new people and ideas that helped Ogden grow. The growth of Ogden in the 1920s created a sense of community and modern change. These modern changes and a sense of community is evident throughout the history of Ogden. On this walking tour, you will take a step back in time and look at places like the Egyptian Theatre, the Brith Sholem Synagogue, and the Bigelow Hotel. You will be able to see how Ogden grew during the 1920s because of the railroad and Union Station.
Digital Tours
The citizens of Utah Territory in 1850 knew education was central to a community’s success. As soon as they arrived, people established private and some public schools to educate children in secular and religious subjects. However, Ogden’s leaders soon realized the path to statehood included robust public schooling—schooling focused on secular rather than religious knowledge. The citizens of Ogden established strong public schools as they believed that investment in education would yield long-term growth and prosperity for both individuals and the community. Explore Ogden’s schools from our earliest days and learn about the development of education with this tour!
Indoor Tours
Experience the memories of rail passengers and workers at the station and explore places that have seen 100 years of history. Watch as memories bring Ogden’s Union Station building to life. In this tour, recreate 10 iconic photos inside of the Union Station and post them to social media! See Urban Archive for photo recreation details.